What will change when Bluetooth's new audio codec "LC3" appears?

One of the big changes in LE Audio is the introduction of the new audio codec "LC3". LC3 is considered a mandatory codec and will therefore be supported by any LE Audio capable device. LC3 stands for "Low Complexity Communications Codec" and features high quality and low power consumption. It is much more efficient than SBC, the essential codec for conventional Bluetooth audio (A2DP of Classic Bluetooth), and is said to be able to achieve the same sound quality as SBC at about half the bit rate.

LC3 can achieve higher sound quality at a lower bitrate than SBC How you implement LC3 depends on the design/configuration of the sending device (source device) and receiving device (sink device). For example, if power saving is important, the audio quality should be on par with SBC. Since the bit rate can be cut in half, the power consumption can also be cut in half. On the other hand, if the bit rate is the same as SBC, you will get a sound quality that greatly exceeds SBC with almost no change in power consumption. Although the LC3 has been developed on the premise of LE Audio, it is not designed exclusively for LE Audio. Like aptX and LDAC, it can be implemented as an optional codec for Classic Bluetooth, and the Bluetooth SIG recognizes that possibility. In fact, LC3 is expected to be adopted in Classic Bluetooth hands-free profile (HFP). Voices heard through a headset can feel quite degraded with conventional codecs, but with support for LC3, the sound should be much more natural.